Worth Mentioning...is a weekly roundup by South Jersey Online's own DJ McAneny of news stories that either occurred outside of our typical local coverage area for our online content or stories that needed a bit more said about them, in a more informal context. News tips, comments, concerns, disagreements, love mail and hate mail greatly appreciated and accepted atsjnjog2@sjnewsco.com.

I wonder if the world is reaching new levels of disgrace, or if perhaps I've just never been aware of it before. Perhaps these things have always gone on and only now am I gaining a grasp on just how often we treat each other so badly.

Therefore, in light of all the negativity floating around this week, we will look at the brighter side of life, as I think everyone needs a bit more to smile about.

--------"You cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead."

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor

This man is a hero. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor was a Navy SEAL. He was a man fighting in a war. And regardless of any of our personal beliefs about the war, he was a man who lived in a combat zone where his life was on the line literally every second he was there.

As a SEAL, the most elite group of combatants, Monsoor was involved in attacks on highly contested soil 75 percent of the time he was fighting. And he gave his life in combat.

This is not what makes Monsoor a hero, though that alone would be enough. He is a hero because he saved the lives of two of his team, and the three additional Iraqi soldiers, who were on a rooftop sniping position when a grenade struck him in the chest.

The grade dropped to the floor at his feet, and Monsoor had a choice. It was possible for him to reach safe cover. But he did not run. Instead, he thought of the other lives that lay in the balance beside his own, and Monsoor jumped on top of the grenade. He took the brunt of the explosion, and, in doing so, died so that others would live.

Monsoor died in October 2006, but because of the sacred nature with which the Medal of Honor is handled, his story had to be verified and only recently could his family be awarded his medal.

Monsoor was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. He was the first SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq.

--------"I'm very hesitant to change anything that seems to be working."

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has signed into law a measure that, along with New Jersey (?) and Maryland, would bypass the Electoral College completely and instead give the electoral votes to the candidate for presidency that wins the popular vote in the state.

The question mark, I am ashamed to admit, was because, until reading this AP article, I was unaware NJ had any such ruling or law.

This is a great move. I have asked people, several people, anyone I would think could help me understand: 'Why does the Electoral College exist?' Could someone explain that to me? We don't need it. It's a flawed system. How can one person receive more votes total from a supporting country in their run for the Presidency, and have another person named President because they had more votes in the right states? How does anyone, anywhere think that's an OK system?

Well, I can think of at least one or two people who think that's an OK system, but the opinions of those currently in an office by means of a flawed win don't count.

So, seriously, what has taken the nation so long to get with the program? How has this not been an issue previously?

The headline comes from a comment made about not fixing what isn't broken in the article. That's the thing. It is broken. Horribly so.

The article states: "Dozens more states would have to join the effort before it could take effect."

Why don't they? What is taking these people so long? That's a lot of questions, I suppose, but I have little in the way of answers.

So I'm asking all of you. Tell me: What do you think of the Electoral College, and the voting system of America in general? Is the change a move you agree with?

I, personally, dig the move. I think it's about time I didn't feel like if i wasn't with the majority of my state, then my vote was cast aside.

Nice work Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey(!).

--------"We had a long/tough season last year. Saturday made up for everything."

This is a great story. A group named ImprovEverywhere arrived at a little league baseball game, and they brought along some friends.

The group then did just about the coolest thing I've ever heard of anyone doing for a group of kids anywhere, ever.

The "friends" ImprovEverywhere brought along had memorized, with the help of the coaches, kids' names, nicknames, positions, stats, everything. The kids and the parents were completely unaware that anything would be happening.

Guys came shirtless, with the names of the little league teams painted across their chests. girls came with big signs to hold up for their favorite players. Mascots arrived.

And then a Jumbotron rolled out off in left field, with announcers broadcasting a play-by-play.

And then, to top it all off, the Goodyear blimp flew in with the names of the teams scrolling across the bottom.

After the game, the kids were bombarded for autographs, and they got to hold a press conference. It doesn't even matter who won, these kids got to experience something incredible, and I was really happy for them. It was their taste of the big leagues.

Brian Krische noticed that his Netflix movies were rarely arriving, and he was beginning to think perhaps they were not arriving more often than a typical forgetful mailman would really allow. Something was fishy. So he set up his computer's webcam facing out the window, and set it to only capture video when it recognized movement.

The day Krische was supposed to receive a movie in the mail, he came home and, low-and-behold, there was no movie there. So he ran inside to his computer.

Where he found this image.

Luckily, Netflix understood and Krische wasn't charged. The kid was the son of the tenants elow Krische in an apartment building. The police intervened and the kid ended up in the First Offenders Program.